Diamond Tears
by BleedingFlames
Summary: Ian came back for Amy a year after the clue hunt but amidst the perfect fairytale lies a dark secret. Will Ian save her in time? Or is it Amy's time to die?
1. Chapter 1

"Amy! Are you getting out of that bathroom or not?" Dan yelled, pounding on the bathroom door. He had been waiting an entire five minutes for Amy to come out. Why did girls always have to take so long inside a bathroom?

"Five minutes!" Amy yelled back

"You said the same thing five minutes ago!" Dan shouted

"Kiddos! Shut up!" Amy and Dan's au pair, Nellie Gomez, yelled as she walked inside their room. The three of them were back in Boston.

The clue hunt had ended a year ago with Amy and Dan as the winners. The clues had turned out as ingredients and plans to end World Hunger. After looking for the last clue in India, Amy and Dan both made an unanimous decision to take the plans to the US President. The president had been entirely grateful for the plan and had immediately talked about it with the other leaders from other countries. The only thing Dan and Amy had ever asked for was to remain entirely anonymous. They had wanted to go back to their old lives as ordinary teenagers living in Boston.

But things didn't go quite as planned. Social Services had still been looking for them when they got back and Aunt Bloody Beatrice had been so furious with them for taking the clue in the first place that she orphaned them.

Being only sixteen and thirteen at that time, Amy and Dan had been on their way to the local foster home when Nellie stepped in. She offered to adopt them, answering their education; food; shelter and all the other things needed by teenagers. After much contemplating and a lot of experiences in court, Social Services had finally agreed.

Now, seventeen year old Amy and fourteen year old Dan was living with Nellie in the house she had bought with all her chef money. After they had been adopted, Nellie (with a lot of persuading from Amy) had finished culinary school at the young age of twenty-three. She was now head chef and owner of the five star restaurant across town. She had named her restaurant, 'Grace'

"Okay…okay dweeb! I'm out!" Amy suddenly pulled the door open making Dan stumble

"Can't you stop calling me that?" Dan grumbled

"No" Amy said simply. She was wearing sweatpants and a shirt. Amy held a thick book under her arm. She simply had to study for a big test she had two days from now. Amy had been taking journalism in the nearby college. Dan still had to go through high school in a private school which was paid for by Fiske and the entire Madrigal branch. Nellie was their legal foster parent but Fiske was the one who took care of all their needs. After the clue hunt finished, he had resumed the role of being the responsible grandfather although he refused to let them call him that. He had told them to call him Uncle or else.

Amy had refused their offer of paying her college education She had declined applying to an Ivy League school. She had wanted to be near Dan and Nellie.

The doorbell rang and Amy and Nellie both looked toward it.

"Please tell me that's Fiske" Nellie muttered under her breath

Amy laughed. "Uncle was here this morning," she reminded her au pair, "Maybe it's Jeffrey"

Jeffrey Hoffsman was Nellie's boyfriend and sous chef in her restaurant. They had been going out for six months-the longest somebody had lasted as Nellie's boyfriend.

"Haha" Nellie said flatly, "Get the door kiddo"

Amy giggled and walked towards the front door. Forgetting to look into the peep hole to see who it was, she simply opened the rich mahogany door.

"Hello, love" a familiar voice said


	2. Chapter 2

"I-i-ian? Wh-what are y-y-you d-doing h-here?" Crap. Amy thought. I thought my stutter was gone for good!

"Tsk. Tsk. Manners love. Been thinking about me?" Ian's smug voice made Amy want to puke all over his expensive, custom-made Armani shoes and Prada suit

"You're not welcome here, Cobra" she said briskly and made a move to slam the door in his face but Ian stopped it

"Look Amy," he said his voice suddenly sincere, "I know we haven't been the best of pals lately but I'm willing to start over if you will too. Please…give me another chance"

"Y-you hu-hurt m-me" Amy said hollowly, "Y-y-you l-l-left m-me i-i-in a ca-cave"

Ian sighed. "I know that it would be impossible to convince you. What do you say to a dinner tomorrow? I'll pick you up, if you want"

"Kiddo? Who's that?" Nellie's loud voice interrupted the conversation. When Nellie saw Ian, her eyes widened and she grabbed Amy's arm.

"What is that poor excuse of a human being doing here on my property?" she hissed in Amy's ear

"I don't know too! He wants my trust back, I think" Amy hissed back

"Do you want me to get a shotgun? Or poison number 77? Alright, here's what we'll do. You stall him and I call for Fiske and his back up. That will teach that traitor."

"No Nellie! I think he really means it!" Amy said her voice suddenly rising an octave higher

Ian cleared his throat. "Whispering when two people are talking to each other is not polite, you know?" he said stiffly

"And apparently when God rained down goodness on earth, you and your sister weren't there to catch some of it" Nellie shot back

"And when Pandora opened the box, you were the one looking over the edge so that all the demons had to put a blessing on your face" Ian said angrily

Nellie started to raise her fist but Amy stopped her.

"Nellie, don't interfere with this! If he starts acting weirdly, I'll call Uncle. Go!" Amy ordered her guardian

Nellie looked at her weirdly for a moment but finally gave her a tart nod and walked out of the room but not before she gave Ian a death glare which he equally returned

"Pissing other people is your gift" Amy said sarcastically

"I'm glad you know" Ian said calmly, "Now…what do you say about my proposition?"

"You didn't make a proposition, Ian. You practically forced me" Amy said matching the tone of Ian's voice

"Let's not dwell on that" Ian replied stiffly

"Ian, I swear to God if you hurt me again…I will turn the full force of the Madrigals upon you and the entire Kabra line. I will annihilate the entire Kabra dynasty. I will destroy every piece and every evidence of the Lucian branch. Is that clear?" Amy's voice was like steel

"Does that mean that you're coming to dinner?" Ian said eagerly

"Yes" Amy stated flatly and slammed the door in his face.

"Idiot" she muttered under her breath once the door was already closed.


	3. Chapter 3

"Aw come on Amy! Don't leave me here alone!" Dan whined as he watched his sister prepare for her date with Ian

"You're not going to be alone," she reminded him "Nellie's here"

"Against my own wishes," Nellie grumbled from the doorway. Her earphones dangled from her neck and her phone was stuck in an awkward position in her jeans pocket. "I could have been spending the night eating five-course meals with my boyfriend...but no...I had to babysit Dan."

"Au pair us" Dan corrected

"Whatever" Nellie rolled her eyes and ran her hand through her hair. She had gotten it dyed last year and instead of its former two-toned color, it was now a deep shade of mahogany. It looked attractive on her.

"I won't be out or long" Amy said scrutinizing her reflection. She was wearing a dark green dress that Nataliya had given to her for Christmas that nicely complimented her jade-colored eyes. Her hair was in a tight ponytail and she had splashed on some lip gloss. Root beer-flavored gloss was her favorite. She slipped on her newly-bought black booties and picked up her handbag

"Don't let Dan blow up the neighbor's house. And Nellie, do not let him cook. Do not let him in my room and absolutely do not let him order pizza. Get it?" She made one last remainder to her foster parent who shuddered at the thought of Dan ordering pizza. The last time they had let him do that, he had ordered a super spicy, super expensive, super large with every topping on it from Pizza Hut. The pizza was large enough to feed every member of the Cahills starting from Gideon and Olivia and ending with the present time's generation of Cahills.

"Don't worry Amy," Nellie soothed her "Worry about that Taipan you're going out with...who should be here soon, by the way" she made a face at Amy and put on her earphones which she immediately took out from her ears because Dan had suddenly screamed about his new video game.

The doorbell sounded and Amy forced herself not to run to it. Instead, she approached it with a calm manner and opened it in an elegant way.

Ian stood on the porch steps wearing a dark suit. He looked as if he was twenty instead of sixteen. His hair was nicely cut and his shoes were polished. Although his attire looked so formal, he was smiling at Amy.

"Hello love," he greeted her "I'm glad you accepted"

"H-Hi Ian" Amy addressed him. He looked so gorgeous, she thought. Kind of like a cross between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise...if Tom Cruise was darker and Brad Pitt had almond-colored eyes.

"Shall we go?" Ian asked holding out his hand. His warm British accent sent shivers up Amy's spine. Unable to speak, she took Ian's hand and hoped that hers wasn't sweating. She carefully close the door behind her and they went out to the street.

"This is a Lamborghini Gallardo, isn't it?" Amy asked amazed at Ian's shiny, silver sports car

"Yes it is," Ian looked incredulous "I'm surprised you recognized it. Most girls wouldn't. They don't find cars very...ah...interesting"

"Um...Dan has posters of this in his room. It's his dream car" Amy admitted

"But even without Daniel's posters, would you still recognize this car?" Ian looked at her with a piercing but gentle glance from his almond eyes. He didn't sound as if he was questioning her...he sounded really interested to know her answer

"I read...um...Dan's issue of Cars Magazine. The Lamborghini's great but the Bugatti is even faster" she said not meeting his gaze

"True but the Lamborghini is designed to be a luxury car...I believe that the Bugatti is a real race car" Ian shrugged "Oh well, doesn't matter anyway" He opened the door and helped Amy get inside. She fastened her seat belt just as Ian was getting inside his car. He turned the key in the ignition and carefully pulled away from the curb.

"I didn't mention...that...you look really beautiful tonight, Amy" he said sincerely. He kept his eyes on the road.

"I...uh...Thank you" Amy said relieved that her stutter was gone. How she wished it was always like that!

"You must be wondering where we are going to eat" Ian said abruptly

"Yeah...I was just going to ask you that" Amy said looking out at the blurring landscape outside her window

"I thought we could eat at Salsandee," Ian said "Will that be okay with you?"

"Yes, that's perfectly fine with me" Amy said awkwardly

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

Ian parked his car in front of the lavish restaurant that had twinkling lights blinking in its windows. A red carpet was flung over the steps and it looked to be elegant and sophisticated. The glass was see-through and Amy could see a horde of couples dining together.

Inside, a small fountain blubbered beside a counter where a lady sat behind a computer.

"Reservation?" she asked

"Ian Kabra...I requested a private booth"

The lady, whose name tag read Clarisse, typed on her computer and smiled at them. "Thomas will be escorting you" she gestured to a young man in a white dinner jacket and black pants who led them across the restaurant. He ushered them behind an alcove with roses winding all throughout it and inside a dark-paneled room. The room had a table for two and a fireplace which was flickering with light. Instead of lights, candles filled the whole place with an eerie and dim glow.

"Your server will be here shortly" Thomas left them

"Thank you, Ian, for bringing me here" Amy said sincerely

"It was no problem. It was the least I can do after all that trouble I gave you...The cave in Korea, The sharks in Australia...and the way I tricked you in Paris. I must apologize for my mother, though. She has an...ah...let's say, weird, outlook on the hunt"

Amy smiled at him. "How is your family, by the way?" she asked him

Ian smiled back at her. "My parents and I don't speak much these days. Natalie is in Paris right now but I hear she will be coming back later this week. She is eager to see Daniel. I think it's puppy love"

Amy giggled. How could it be that Ian whom she once thought of as a betraying, poisonous jerk could be so...so...so amazing? Was it just the way he looked at her that made her melt or was it something more?

All that Amy knew was that it was going to be the beginning of a very amazing night...

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**WOOHOO! Finished this chapter. And, I'm not sure if it will be Dan/Natalie or Dan/Reagan or Dan/Madison...what do you guys think?**


	4. Chapter 4

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"Thanks for the dinner again" I said to Ian as I unlocked our front door. His car was still on the sidewalk and I was wearing his suit jacket

"It was no problem. It was very fun and would you mind doing it with me again?" Ian asked me hopefully

I thought for a moment. "Of course, it would be my pleasure"

I succeeded in unlocking the front door. I said goodbye to Ian, removed my heels and put it on the shoe rack that was in our foyer. I switched on the lights and was surprised to find out that there was a bright light in the living room. I entered it and was surprised to see...

"DAN? REAGAN?" I screamed

They both looked up from the various textbooks that were scattered between them on the carpet. Nellie, who was snoring softly on the armchair, suddenly woke up.

"Wh-wha?" she mumbled. When she saw me she rolled her eyes in Dan and Reagan's direction. "Join the club"

Nellie walked away, earphones dangling from her neck, and I was left alone with Dan and Reagan Holt. Reagan had grown a little, she was no longer chubby and her blond hair was no longer in pig tails. She was wearing a red shirt and jeans and her hair was in a ponytail.

"Hey sis" Dan muttered

"Hey Amy" Reagan said cheerfully, "Do you still remember me?"

"Of course I remember you!" I sputtered, trying to come up with a smart question "How's Hamilton? Why are you here?"

Reagan wrinkled her nose. "Hammie's okay. He's in Australia with Maddie. They're on a field trip there"

"Really? Why aren't you with them?"

She blushed. "I failed Earth Science so I couldn't go with them. Dan offered to teach me, though. I hope that's okay with you"

I nodded and smiled at her. "Sure, it's no problem...Just, uh...don't do anything silly"

Dan rolled her eyes and snickered. "How was the date with Ian?"

I smacked him on the back of his head. "Shut up"

Reagan's phone beeped with a text. "Hey Amy, Hamilton says hi and he's asking if he could get your number"

I thought for a moment then recited my number to Reagan who typed it and sent it to Hamilton. "Thanks" she said

"No problem" I beamed at them and went upstairs

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**Okay, this chapter is kinda boring but I promise that there will be more Ian/Amy on the next chapter. DON'T FORGET TO CHECK THE LINK!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Remember to check out the link!**

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**Amy POV**

Nellie entered my room while I was putting away my clothes. She looked troubled.

"Hey Nellie! What's up?" I said

"Sit down, kiddo. I think we need to talk" She said seriously. I sat down on the edge of the bed and she sat down on my computer chair. She whirled around and turned it to face me. Nellie looked like she wanted to puke.

"Look, I know you love Ian and all that blah-blah-blah but I think you should take this slowly. One step at a time. Let's figure things out first. I mean, when something happens to Fiske you'll be the one to replace him as branch leader. You and Dan are the only ones left in the blood line and Ian might be using you..." she trailed off

"What do you mean, Nellie?" I asked curiously

Nellie bit her lip. "Fiske is going to kill me when he finds out that I told you"

I raised my eyebrows. "Never knew you followed rules"

She rolled her eyes. "You're right, I don't follow rules. Especially when it's told by eighty year old men. Okay, here's what he told me. Remember when the Madrigals, Tomas, Janus and Ekaterina teamed up to capture Isabel?"

I nodded. I couldn't see where this was going, though.

"Well, you remember that they captured Isabel hiding out in Madagascar" Nellie said slowly

"Nellie, just get to the point" I said impatiently

"It turns out that it wasn't Isabel they captured. It was just some double. Fiske didn't tell you because he was afraid that both of you would either freak out or go after her"

"So Isabel's still at large?" I asked just to be sure

Nellie nodded. "Here's the thing. Ian, Natalie and Vikram disappeared with her, right? Doesn't it seem fishy to you that Ian is back here and Natalie's somewhere in Europe without their parents?"

"Well...now that you put it that way, it is. But I just assumed that Fiske, Cora, Alistair and Eisenhower found them not guilty and let them go" I admitted. I sounded foolish and ridiculous to my own ears.

"What happened to your brains, girl? Are they sucked dry from the Clue Hunt? Or is that just a dose of I-saw-Ian-again?"

"They're on a lunch break" I smiled at her, "And I get it...don't spend too much time with Ian. Learn the ropes of being a Madrigal. And don't tell Dan about Isabel"

Nellie grinned at me. "Good girl. And I don't suppose you would go down to the 24-hour music store for me? There's this band I'm loving called 'The Creed' and they're songs are the bomb!"

I shook my head and stuck out my tongue. "No can do, Nellie. I want to sleep"

"Okay, kiddo. Good night" She turned off the light and closed my bedroom door behind her. Within minutes, I was asleep.

**Ian POV**

After the so-called 'date', I went back to my flat and pulled out a sleek phone from my back pocket. I sighed as I saw who was calling me. It was Mother.

"Universal" she said in fast, clipped tones. That was our code to let us know that it was a Kabra on the other end.

"Universal" I nodded although she couldn't see.

"How was the...ahm...date with that Cahill brat?" she asked lazily although I knew she was paying attention to every word I would say

"I would say that it went great, Mother. But I think I laid on the charm a bit too thick" I said carefully

She laughed on the other end. "That is great, Ian. Now, your sister is coming there at about five...American time, of course. You are to act completely surprised when she gets there. Direct her to the Cahill brats house and make her charm that boy, Daniel. I would see personally to their babysitter and their fool of an Uncle"

I nodded. "But Mother, what about the other branch leaders? They're very protective of the Cahills, or that is what my spies have reported to me"

"Are you doubting my skills Ian?" she asked coldly

I flinched. "Of course not, Mother. Nobody would doubt your skills" At least, nobody alive. But I did not say that.

"The other branches will be easy to infiltrate. Especially now that you have spies in them. They have grown quite slack in their security"

"Yes Mother" the call ended

Nobody will underestimate the Kabras again


	6. Chapter 6

**Remember to check out the link!

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****Dan POV**

I was walking downtown, heading into the nearest 7-Eleven to buy some Cherry Garcia when I bumped into someone.

"Excuse me…Natalie?" I was surprised to see another Cobra in town. When there's a snake, you should always expect to see another one. In this case, it was Ian and Natalie. Was there a Cahill reunion in town or something?

"Daniel," Natalie responded tartly. She was wearing a dark green mini dress and high heels. Although she was wearing heels, she only reached my chin. What can I say? Grace always told me that Dad was tall. It's in the genes.

"Call me Dan. There's a vintage store here, by the way. I recommend it. You look like a flashing neon sign that say, 'I'm rich! Rob me!'" I tried to get under her skin

"I'm wearing Chanel, nothing can go wrong with Chanel" Natalie said confidently

"I think Confucius said that but I'm not sure. Let me check." I said sarcastically

"Still a happy-go-lucky brat, aren't we?" Natalie smiled sympathetically

"You really have an open mind, Natalie. Ideas slip straight through" I grinned back at her and got the satisfaction that she gritted her teeth.

"I would kill you right now, Daniel, but there are too many witnesses. I wouldn't want everyone hear your stupid girlish shriek" Natalie threatened

"I seem to have a knack of pissing of people," I said

"I see you are still using that filthy American slang." Natalie surveyed

"Better than talking like we're still stuck in the middle Ages," I shot back, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going to get something sweet and yummy"

"I wonder what girl would agree to be your girlfriend." Natalie laughed

I laughed back at her. "What a very interesting summary, Natalie! I'm getting ice cream. You're Lucian mind must have been dulled by the many boring days we have right now."

"Nothing dulls a Lucian," she said affronted

"Except a Madrigal," I added

She stepped towards me. "Watch out Daniel. I have had years of training while you only had the Clue Hunt."

I whistled between my teeth, not scared at the least. "Yes, you're right. But then again, who won the Hunt? Let me see…oh right! Us!"

"You will never win again," Natalie said in a low, demonic tone

"Who died and made you Lord Voldemort?" I laughed. I patted her on the head, sidestepped her and began walking away quickly. When I looked back, she was gone.

**Amy POV**

"Yo sis!" I heard Dan enter my room

"Yes?" I looked up from the Biology textbook I had been studying

"Is there some kind of reunion thingamajig in here? I just saw another Cobra in the streets today" he crossed his arms and grinned wickedly at me

"Shut up Dan and as far as I know, there is no reunion"

"Yeah well, I heard from Reagan that the Holts were coming back in town staying at a rented house twenty blocks away. The Cobras are here and next thing we know, Jonah and the Starlings are in the airport" he retorted

"Did you get in a fight with Natalie?" I asked him absently

"I have a gift for getting under people's skins," Dan hooted

"And I have firsthand experience of that," I muttered under my breath

"Anyway, you want some ice cream? Nellie and I are going to eat the whole pint, if you don't want some. Besides, you need a break."

I shook my head. "Studies confirm that by eating one peanut, it can get a student enough energy to study the whole night?"

"Nope and why would I want one peanut? I'd rather get a peanut-butter milk shake," Dan answered. He exited my room to give me some peace and quiet.

I sighed and put down my book. I went downstairs and sure enough, Nellie and Dan were pigging out on the ice cream in front of the television.

"I need a break," I muttered

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**So what do you think? Dan/Natalie or Dan/Reagan?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Remember to check out the link!**

Thanks to Little Lobster, my beta reader. YOU ROCK!

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**Natalie's POV**

"Mum -" I began.

"What is it, Natalie?" she snapped from the other end of the line.

"I have met the Cahill boy," I informed her, trying hard to keep my voice neutral and impassive.

"Well?" Mum demanded. Mother might seem cold and heartless, but you just have to try to understand her. She just wants power . . . and I'm sure that she would probably share it with me and Ian. I mean, we are family, right? Ian and I should have as much power as Mother . . . right?

"We exchanged quite a few insults. His sense of humor still hasn't improved . . . and the same could be said for his manners," I rummaged around my luggage trying to figure out what to wear tomorrow. I need to shop; I don't want to wear the same outfit _twice_. Ah! The horror! I sincerely hope that the shops in Boston will be as fashionable as those in England . . . or else someone would pay.

"Natalie, you are here to destroy the brat, not to teach him manners!" Mum snarled.

I flinched. "Don't worry, Mother. Everything is under control. Ian and I will start Phase One tomorrow."

"This better work, Natalie, or else the entire Lucian Branch will be laughing at you. Then of course, there's your Father and I. You would not want to know what we are planning in case you and your worthless brother fail . . ." Mother torturously left the threat hanging in the air. She can be really scary sometimes.

I bit my lip, trying not to cry, and was thankful when I heard the barely audible click.

I stood up and opened my Hermes Birkin custom-made trunk. Inside were rows of tiny vials filled with a number of dangerous poisons. I had to pass them off as bottles of shampoo at the airport. There were a few daggers as well and a dozen or so miniscule spy cameras.

I smiled to myself, fingering one of the most dangerous and lethal poisons I had brought along with me.

'Operation Destroy Cahill' brats is under control. Ian and I will not fail this time. Nothing could bring us down.

'_I hope . . .'_

**Amy's POV**

I was driving around town when I saw this a familiar face in front of the airport. He was carrying two duffel bags on one hand with complete ease. He was wearing jeans, a purple shirt, and sneakers. His blond hair stuck straight up like a shark fin, and I could clearly see the marks of his chest muscles against his tight shirt.

I opened my car window and lowered down my sunglasses. "Hamilton? Hamilton Holt? Is that you?"

The guy looked towards my direction. "Amy?"

I smiled. It was indeed Hamilton. "Yes, it's me! Oh my God, what are you doing here? Wait - come in! I'll drive you to wherever you need to go. It's cheaper than taking a cab." Without waiting for a reply, I opened the passenger door for him.

Hamilton got inside; he threw his bags in the backseat and fastened his seatbelt.

"So. . . what are you doing here?" I pulled away from the airport.

"Reagan," he said simply, "And also, I've been recruited by the college football team to play for them."

"But, Hamilton . . . it's summer."

He shrugged. "Yeah, but there are also a lot of stuff to do. Training and game strategies and all that." He turned to me. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I live here, remember?"

"What about your Aunt? Beatrice's her name, I think?" He asked curiously.

I gave a small nod. "Nah . . . Great-Uncle Fiske and Nellie sorta adopted us. Beatrice gave up without a fight. I think she's onto her fifth husband or something." I took my eyes off the road for a moment and looked at him. He was making gagging noises. "I know, it's disgusting. Where are you going, by the way?"

He frowned. "The Tomas bought us a flat here. 1200 Bastion Boulevard. I heard Reagan was studying in advance and asked Dan-o to help. Is that true?"

"Yeah . . . It's school time for both of them. Though, I don't know why Reagan would want to ask help from Dan – _out of all people,_" I paused for a moment. "I took a break from college," I admitted.

"Really? Why?" Hamilton asked curiously.

"Oh, you know, learning the ropes of branch leader. How about you? Are you also going to college?"

Hamilton shook his head. "Nope, just playing for the football team."

"Did you know that the Kabras are here?" I asked out of the blue, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah. The Starlings are coming over in a couple of weeks, too - that's what the Tomas surveillance is telling us."

I was shocked. Could it be that Dan was right – for the first time _ever_? That there was some sort of reunion in town? Or was it another sick ploy to get the 39 Clues from us?


	8. Chapter 8

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**Thanks to Little Lobster, my beta reader. YOU ROCK!**

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**Amy POV**

We arrived at Hamilton and Reagan's building. I parked my car on the curb and we both got out. Ham lugged his duffel bags easily.

"So the Tomas got this for the both of you," I said

"Yeah, they owe us one too since we almost died in that island back in England. Isabel sure is crazy."

I laughed nervously. Isabel was a pretty hard subject for me. "Yeah. So, um…what floor are you on?" We had reached the elevators.

Hamilton pulled out his phone and checked something on it. "Reagan said we were on the eighth floor. H890."

"Your flat has any furniture in it, already?" I pressed the elevator 'up' button and we both got inside. I was desperate for small talk.

"Yup. Paid for by the Tomas, again."

"Hey, have you heard anything from Jonah recently?" I asked him. I admit, I was curious about Jonah too. The last time I saw him, he was hugging his dad as if he would never let go. Of course, he was still rocketing up the music charts and he had new products along the way including a Wizard PDA and a Jonah Wizard video game.

"Nope but I heard that he had a movie coming. 'Jonah Wizard: A born star'" we both snickered at the absurd and arrogant name. No doubt it was either Cora Wizard or Jonah himself who had decided the movie title.

We arrived at the eighth floor and Hamilton led me to H890. He fished out his keys from his jeans back pocket and unlocked the mahogany door.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked awkwardly

"Uh…I really need to go…so, yeah." It wasn't that I was afraid. I was just awkward when I was alone with Hamilton.

I turned to go but was stopped when I felt Hamilton's hand grab my arm. I turned around and was surprised to see the expression on his face. There was a new fire in his eyes instead of its usually dull twinkle.

"Amy…" he whispered, "I need to tell you something…"

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**Natalie POV**

"Um, could you say gross?" I flicked a sequined top at the saleslady who caught it expertly. I had flown to New York this morning since I needed a wardrobe check. God knows how many tacky shops were in Boston. I couldn't even find a decent pair of shades in that...that...place!

I walked out of the shop and proceeded farther in the street, taking a quick glance at a shop display here and there. A pair of sandals caught my eye. It was a deep shade of black with rubies glinting at its straps. It was perfect.

I strolled inside the shop, relived to find that it was Prada. Goodness only knew what would happen if someone caught me looking in Old Navy...or worse, Gap.

"Excuse me? I need that pair of sandals by that shop window? Size 5?" I tapped a saleslady on the shoulder. She was clearly in need of a makeover...and a decent Brazilian wax.

"And just who do you think you are?" she replied snottily

"Hello? I'm Natalie Kabra, daughter of Vikram and Isabel Kabra." I scoffed. How dare this bitch not know me! I should have her fired for insulting a well-known model of society. I wonder what will happen if word of this gets out.

"Oh..um...ah...yes, Lady Kabra..." the woman stammered

"Fab," I smiled coldly at her and snapped open my crocodile skin Balenciaga handbag. I scrolled down the messages on my phone. Nothing but a few texts from Mellie, my dad's secretary. Nice to see that the Kabra power and fortune is still alive.

"Ma'm? I heard you were Natalie Kabra. Please, sit down. Can I get you anything to drink? Champagne? Tea? Coffee? Oh, and I'm Christine. I'm your personal shopper for today," a five foot three girl with a perm approached me holding the sandals.

I smiled at her. "I prefer champagne. Oh, and I need a new handbag but I won't say no to a pair of boots either. And could you possibly throw in a pair of shades? Thank you, sweetie."

An hour later, I strolled out of Prada holding a dozen shopping bags. I had bought at least a couple of skirts and blouses, beautiful scarves and sunglasses. The pair of sandals and a pair of five-inch heels and gorgeous knee-high boots.

I rapped smartly on the window of my limousine. "Sully?"

"Yes ma'm?" Sully, my driver held open my door and grabbed my shopping bags from me. He deposited them in the trunk and got into the driver's seat. "Where to?"

"Mmm...just drive around for a little bit. Something might catch my eye," I said

Bohemian Raphsody suddenly played and I dove into my handbag for my phone as the first few notes of the song rose. "Hello? Natalie Kabra?"

"Natalie..." my brother's voice sounded urgent

"Yes? I'm in New York, Ian. I desperately needed to shop," There was a slight defensive edge to my tone. Ian never really approved of my shopping needs. Pity...

"I know, darling sister. I just wanted to let you know that the Starlings have arrived in Boston,"

"WHAT?" I screamed into the phone. But it was for nothing, the line went dead. I threw the phone back in my bag and knocked twice on the divider.

"Sully? Let's just make a quick stop to Chanel. Then head to the airport. Call Mellie to arrange a flight back to Boston for me. First class,"

"Yes ma'm," Sully obeyed and turned the limousine around to head back to Fifth Avenue where Chanel was located.

The Starlings were in Boston? To cause up trouble, I presume. Nothing like a good certain kind of poison couldn't handle...But first, I had to get to Chanel. I seriously had to stock up on that sweet-smelling No.5 perfume.

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**Unknown Person POV**

"You think that this will work?" I asked the woman who was dressed in complete purple. Purple skirt, purple blouse, purple blazer and purple pumps.

"Of course it will! This is modern-age technology!" she snapped

"And you think that this will cause the two subjects to fall in love?" I glanced back at my notes to make sure I had my hunches correct

"Yes. Absolutely right. And it will also destroy the two threats," she said confidently

"Well...if you're sure..."

"Yes, yes...Oh and be sure to carry out the plans...The two will be completely annihilated by the end of our operation..." the woman smiled evilly and began to type out commands in her computer.


	9. Chapter 9

**Follow me on twitter: KayDeexoxo**

**Please submit a tribute and a mentor to my newest story, The 213th Hunger Games**

**My Chemical Romance's new album comes out tomorrow!  
**

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**Dan POV**

"Uncle Fiske? Mr. McIntyre? What are you doing here?" I demanded as soon as I opened the door. Uncle Fiske was standing on our porch, wearing all gray as usual while Mr. McIntyre wore a black suit. They both looked nervous, looking over their shoulders every now and then.

Nellie came beside me when she saw them. "Dan, where the heck are your manners?" she chided, "Fiske, William, come inside. And why do you look like someone just killed your cats?" she ushered them in and forced me to take their coats.

Uncle Fiske and Mr. McIntyre sat down on the couch. Nellie served them some left-over pizza we had from the night before and tea which she had brought during her vacation in Scotland. To me, the tea tasted like Great-Aunt Beatrice's old socks.

Uncle Fiske took a sip of his tea and set it down on the coffee table with trembling fingers. "Dan, has your sister told you anything about...er...Isabel and Vikram?" He cringed and looked around nervously as if he expected the Demon Witch and her husband to suddenly appear with a gun and shoot us.

"Um, no...not really, no. Why?" Amy keeping secrets from me, big whoop. Tell me something I don't know.

"They...ehm...it wasn't Isabel and Vikram who we captured in Madagascar...it was some double they hired. Up to now, the other branches including us are still baffled on where the two of them could be...But don't worry, we've sent out our special agents to track them down." Mr. McIntyre forced a smile but it looked more like a grimace.

"So Isabel and Vikram have escaped and are plotting to kill us?" I asked slowly

"Well not plotting to kill you but just escaped," Uncle Fiske said. Oh that's a relief. The two people who made Bin Laden look like a playground bully is somewhere in the world and probably drawing up blueprints for a mega machine that could annihilate the whole world.

"And this involves us because?" Can you blame me for my curiosity?

Nellie looked at me as if she couldn't believe that I just said that. "Obviously the two devil spawns, who go by the name of Ian and Natalie, are here in our tiny little town along with the Neanderthals who we call 'Holts' and the three triplets with rhyming names. And I heard that the black rapper from outer space, Jonah Wizard, is also coming here to Boston...so of course, Dan! It doesn't involve you!"

I looked at her. "That has got to be the longest most serious sentence I've ever heard you speak,"

She smacked me on the back of my head and turned her attention back to our visitors. "So what do you want us to do?"

"Absolutely nothing. We've got it all covered but please do not trust anyone. This will be like the Hunt again only I believe more dangerous and more likely to kill a lot of people." Mr. McIntyre tried to assure us but miserably failed with his last statement.

"But how about the Vespers? I thought they were after the serum?" I was referring to the family who had been feuding with the Cahills as long as anyone could remember. The Vespers were probably stronger than us. I mean, I couldn't even fight with my Cahill relatives for a week let alone centuries.

There was a long pause. "Please do not concern yourself with the Vespers. They haven't showed up on the radar yet but Cora Wizard and Nataliya have been keeping track of their every movement. We thought it better not to include Eisenhower on the team that will make sure they don't show up. He wouldn't know the difference between a Vesper and a scarab beetle."

I didn't mention that I didn't know what the difference between a Vesper and a scarab beetle either. I only knew that the Vespers were human while the scarab beetle was, well, a beetle. "So you want us to blissfully continue our summer?"

"Yes," Uncle Fiske said

"Okay then..." The way Uncle said it, you could see that there would be no loopholes and no arguments either. Seriously, where did this eighty-year-old guy get his guts? Certainly not in WalMart and I know because I checked there.

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**Ian POV**

While the Cahill brat was downstairs with his nanny, uncle and that annoying lawyer, I climbed up the sycamore tree and landed on the balcony that was connected to Amy's room. Carefully, I took out a hairpin from one of my pockets and picked the lock. I opened the window and slipped quietly inside.

The room was typically Amy. It had pale, lavender walls and bookshelves full of books. The bed was neat with an orange laptop sitting on it and Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. There was a stereo on the corner with a pile of CDs beside it. The CDs were all classical music. Debussy, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin...

I had worn a black bodysuit with a mask that fit carefully over my face which I took out now. I had a backpack which I laid on the floor and proceeded to open it. I took out a handful of little microphones and microscopic cameras. I attached the microphones to Amy's headboard, bathroom and mirror. The cameras I put on everywhere I could think of, except the bathroom. I was already invading her personal space, I didn't need to look like a pervert too.

I was already leaving when a photograph on her desk caught my eye. I picked it up and looked at it carefully. Amy was standing in a park, her red hair flying around wildly and her jade green eyes looking about excitedly. She wore a cream-colored parka and a dark blue wool scarf. Her arms were around a boy who was taller than her and had dark hair and hazel brown eyes. He was smiling at the camera too while leaves floated around on the background. It looked to be late autumn.

I carefully replaced the photograph back to its original position and climbed back down. I ignored the butterflies in my stomach, the huge lump in my throat and the obvious need to curl up somewhere and cry. I ignored the _thump thump_ of my heart, beating wildly against my chest as I ran to my parked car a few meters down the road.

Ah, yes...Just another day for a Kabra.

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**Natalie POV**

Ian still wasn't home when I got back to our house. He was still probably off doing his mission of infiltrating the Cahill home. I took the opportunity to pick the lock on his room, steal his laptop and use it for myself.

I checked my e-mail. There was one from mum's secretary, Jane, asking me if I knew the whereabouts of Mother. I deleted that one without bothering to reply. There was also another one from my dear friend, Oscar de la Rente, asking me if I could come to his little soiree sometime during next week in Milan, Italy. He would be launching his new design, a little flouncy summer dress which he hoped I would wear.

My fingers flew on the keyboard as I replied back saying of course I could come and if I could buy the cute little dress in every color he could. Next, I checked Perez Hilton's website to see if there was anything that awful critic wrote about me. There was one blog post entitled: London's Muse, Natalie Kabra. I clicked on it and proceeded to read.

_Natalie Kabra, the fourteen-year-old fashion muse of London. Yes, this little girl has it all. Clothes, looks, money and all that but I found her latest outfit during Heidi Klum's party last month a little too over the top. Kabra was wearing this hideous white lace dress and four-inch high heels. Her make up made her look as if she would be competing for the circus auditions and her hair was in a mess, in an effort to make it look like it was tousled sexily. Can anybody say gross? Someone has got to tell this little girl that lace is not trending right now. But we have to forgive her. Perhaps she was just too tired to think of a really nice outfit...or maybe she was headed to a dear relative's funeral?_

I gritted my teeth as I exited the blog. How dare that vulgar man call me unfashionable? You should have seen what he was wearing during that party! A blue button down shirt? How utterly clueless and simple!

I was startled by a beep from the computer. It said that I had new mail in my inbox. I clicked on it excitedly and found out it was from mum. She was nicknamed Lara Winston.

_Natalie, Shopping tomorrow? Buy me a jade green necklace. I need it quickly. Love, Lara._

Of course, it was in a code. Shopping tomorrow meant that I was to put the plan into action tomorrow. Buy her a jade necklace meant that I was to put cameras all over the Cahill's house. Ian had only put cameras in Amy's room but I was to put them everywhere. 'I need it quickly' meant that I had to send her reports right after the mission.

This day is becoming worse and worse...

Right, I'm going shopping...The clothes I brought earlier was so eleven a.m.

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**You likey? Please tell me you likey!**

**Press the little green button down there and Ian will give you either a pair of Manolos or Call of Duty: Black Ops. **

**Ian, dear...will you get me My Chemical Romance's new CD?**

**He says no...Ah well...  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Follow me on twitter: KayDeexoxo**

**It's my birthday on January 15!**

**Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  
**

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**Ian's POV**

This branch is just so freaking hard! My bum must be seriously red right now! Well, I'd rather have my bum red than Mum scream at me one more time just because some parts of the plan went wrong. Natalie and I hadn't really counted on it that Fiske Cahill would sell that stupid Renaissance painting to a rich old man. The painting was located in Amy's room and I had been using it to spy on her.

Amy...I had surprised myself by tailing her yesterday but she had surprised me when she had spoken on the telephone to a boy from her school, Adam V. Williams. I had run this guy through the Lucian database and found out that his full name was Michael Adam V. Williams. His mother had been an Italian beauty queen back in the days and his father was an American stockbroker. He had two older brothers and one sister. James, Wesley and Catherine. Compared to me, Williams was no looker. He had dark black hair and hazel brown eyes but Amy thought otherwise. She spoke of him to Nellie fondly, as if they were almost together. She had also squealed when Adam had sent her a dozen red roses two days ago. Red roses, doesn't that boy know tulips are much better than roses? Much more original.

"Will you stop daydreaming? I need to finish this surveillance fast and quick! I still need to get my nails done!" Natalie hissed quietly, her camera-recording binoculars hanging from a strap on her slender neck. Right, surveillance. Think about surveillance and not about Amy Cahill.

We were watching the Cahills eat their dinner with Fiske and that dim lawyer of Grace's. Spaghetti and refrigerator cake, how very delightful! They were rich, weren't they? Why couldn't they cook caviar or foie gras for God's sake?

"I'm not daydreaming." I whispered back with as much patience as I could muster. "I'm merely thinking up of ways I could slip poison into their stomach-turning supper."

Natalie snorted, making that impolite gesture seem graceful. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and pressed the binoculars back to her eyes. I resisted the urge to reach out and push my sister off the branch.

"You heard what Mum said, Take them alive. The Vespers have placed a good bounty on their heads, all five of them. If we can bring them to Mother, we can surely reclaim back the Kabra Fortune and we'll go back to ruling the Lucian branch!" Natalie said, not looking at me. "Ugh, I want to vomit from their dinner."

I sniffed. "Yes, I have heard what Mum said and unlike you, sister, she has told me quite a few other things as well."

"Like what?" Natalie demanded

"Like how the Vespers have also placed a five million dollar on the three Holt kids and another five million on Jonah Wizard. Of course, they said we could destroy Alistair Oh in the process. I mean, who would really care about that old man?" I sniffed

"How about the Starlings? Don't they get special attention?" Natalie smirked

I waved my hand dismissively. "Nobody in their right mind would place rewards for three cripples. They would either have to be stupid or just plain desperate to get a Cahill in their midst." The Vespers had promised us a lot of money in exchange for the Cahill kids. When we had caught them all, they would give us a total of forty-five million dollars. It wasn't much but it could help Mum and Dad invest in a few stocks and buy a few companies. The Kabra Dynasty would be greater and grander than ever!

A small gadget, the size of an IPod Nano vibrated in my pocket. I looked at it and smiled. The gadget was wired to a DNA of all the soon-to-be victims. It showed when and where and who was alone at the moment. I tapped Natalie's hand.

"What?" She snapped

"Reagan Holt is alone in her apartment...Call backup. We need every strong man in the branch to try and tackle this bull of a Holt."

Natalie smiled evilly. "I'll make the call and you start the car. Where's the Holt's apartment?"

I grinned back at my sister, who crouched in the dark. The only thing I could see of her were the whites of her teeth from her grin. "This night is going to get fun!"

**Reagan's POV**

_He was a boy, she was a girl, Can I make it anymore obvious? He was a punk, she did ballet. What more can I say? He wanted her, she'd never tell. Secretly she wanted him as well. But all of her friends, stuck up their nose. They had a problem with his baggy of clothes. He was a skater boy, she said, "See ya later boy, He wasn't good enough for her, she had a pretty face. But her head was up in space. She needed to come back down to earth!_

Avril Lavigne's voice blared out Skater Boy from my IPod who was hooked up to my purple speakers. I was cooking dinner, fried chicken; cream of corn soup; rice; butter and bread and also a generous slice of Starbucks' Banoffe pie.

Hamilton was still in football practice, he had called me earlier to say that he wouldn't be home for dinner and Madison's plane still hadn't landed. I was alone in the apartment, multitasking; trying to cook dinner, do some homework and watch a ballet recital of _The Nutcracker_ on the lifestyle channel.

I was so busy in my work that I hadn't seen them coming.

There were eight of them, stocky and muscled men who wore black body suits and black ski masks on their faces. They moved stealthily in the apartment and I only felt their presence when the cool blade of a knife pressed upon my neck.

"Don't move and no one will get hurt," The tallest of the men said in a slow monotone

I dropped the plate I was holding, spun around and punched the man who had a knife to my neck in the jaw. He staggered back but came towards me again. "Fat chance you bastard!" I screamed. I grabbed a plate and smashed it on the head of the man closest to me. He crumpled to the ground but he jumped up on his feet again after a few moments. All of them came towards me, cornering me against the stove. I looked around wildly for any chance of escape but there was none. I was trapped.

But I wasn't going down without a fight.

I grabbed another plate and threw it at the first man I saw. He grabbed it out of the air and aimed it at my head. I ducked at the last second and the plate crashed on the window pane. A man reached out and slid a knife against my thighs. I winced as my jeans ripped and my blood dripped onto the floor. Screaming with rage, I scooted under their legs and grabbed a chair, slamming it into another man.

But it wasn't an even fight and eight minutes after, I was bound and gagged. "Mmmff...Mmmm" I tried to yell at them that my family and the entire Tomas Branch would massacre me if they kidnapped me but they turned a deaf ear to my threats.

"Let's shut her up!" One of the men said wearily

"You do the honors," Another man agreed and handed him a silver tube. With a start, I realized that it was a syringe. I tried to wriggle out of his reach but several hands grabbed me and held me steady as the needle plunged into my neck. It was filled with some kind of orange liquid and I tried to yell in pain.

The man withdrew the injection and my eyelids started to feel heavy. I began to drift in and out and finally, the blackness overwhelmed me. The last thing I saw was the men tidying up the room as if nothing had happened.


	11. Chapter 11

**Follow me on my new twitter account: DestroyRomance. Please? Help me reach 300. As of now, I have 273. PLEASE SUPPORT!  
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**Okay, so I'm still havealittlefaith0213...I just changed my Pen Name:))) IMFAO!**

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**Reagan POV**

I woke up with a pounding head ache. Everything hurt. I was in a pale white room that had a body-length mirror but no windows. There was a door on one side with a red light on top of it. A small security camera was attached to a corner, trained on me. They were, whoever they were, were watching my every move.

I found out that I was sitting on a chair, my hands bound behind me. They had cut my hair so short that it stuck out on weird angles from my head. I looked at myself in the mirror, cringing at my appearance. I had a black eye and a cut lip. There was dried blood around my nose and my other eye was swollen. There were bruises running up my arms and legs and my clothing was torn. I turned my head to the side to see if I had anymore bruises. There were five of them, evidence that somebody had taken a knife to me.

The doorknob turned and the light on top of it turned red. A slender, lithe woman with hazel-brown eyes and dark flowing hair entered the room. She was wearing a crimson red suit. She was wearing a smile that didn't quite reached her eyes but she smiled even wider as soon as her gaze landed on me.

The woman flipped her long hair over her shoulder, exposing long nails the color of scarlet. "Well...let's make this easy, shall we?" Her voice was warm, almost playful. It didn't seem natural seeing as she was probably the one who had instructed those men to kidnap me.

"What do you mean?" My voice was hoarse, a burn at the back of my throat signifying that I was very thirsty. I doubted that I would get any water soon.

Her smile flickered the tiniest bit. "What do you know about the Cahill brats?" She had an accent...French, I suppose.

"Amy and Dan?" I croaked out, wanting to sound bravo and sarcastic. But with the way I looked, it probably didn't do any good.

"Yes...Amy and Daniel." She sneered. "I see now that Isabel wasn't kidding when she said that the Tomas were just dim bulbs with a few loose screws running around their toolbox. I completely agree with her now."

A fire lit inside me. "We aren't stupid!" I barked, my old self creeping back in

That only made her smile a little wider. "If you were very clever...you would cooperate with us as soon as you find out that we've been tracking your family for a while. Princeps would pay a rather high price even for you. That's how desperate we really are.

The flames died out. I was now deathly afraid for myself and for my parents, even Hamilton and Madison. "Wh-What do you want? Wait, Wh-Wh-Who are you?"

The woman smiled again, this time it reached her eyes. "Little girl...we are your worst nightmares."

Then I blacked out.

**Amy POV**

_"Amy, I need to tell you something."_

_I looked into Hamilton's dark azure eyes and nodded my head. "Okay..." I whispered_

_He bit his lip, looking like a vulnerable young boy instead of the tough young man he had been forced to become during the Clue Hunt. I wondered what Hamilton looked liked when he was a baby. Did his parents love him? Or were they too busy training their children into young warriors that would search for the 39 Clues? Even if Dan and I had lived our whole lives as a lie, we still had a partly-normal childhood. _

_He bit his lip, a draft in the hallway making his blond hair wave slightly to the side. "I...I...um..."_

_"Ham, why don't you just spit it out?" I said, trying not to sound so awkward_

_He shook his head and gave me a grin, the left corner of his mouth pulling up higher than the right. "I'm not good at this, Amy."_

_I laughed, partly just to break the tension. "Yeah, I can see that."_

_He dropped by arm. "Well...if you need anything, just call me."_

_"Sure." _

I was eating Cherry Garcia when my phone rang. I dropped the spoon into the sink guiltily and flipped my phone open. "Hello?"

"Amy? Amy, is that you?" Great-Uncle Fiske's worried voice filled my ear

"Yes, Uncle. I'm here." I tried to soothe him

"Thank God, Thank God...I thought you had been taken." Relief was evident in his voice

"What do you mean?" I asked curiously, hopping onto the countertop

There was a pause on the other end. "Amy," His voice had dropped to a whisper. "Cahills all over the world are being taken. Bae Oh was apprehended in Madrid, Spain this morning. He's nowhere to be found and the Ekatarinas are worried. Lilya Chernova, another Ekatarina, has also been reported missing since last night-" He cut off suddenly and I could hear a beeping noise in the background.

"Great-Uncle Fiske?" I asked worriedly

"Sorry, Amy." He said, getting back on the line. "Now where was I? Oh yes, Cahills missing. Apparently Paul Addison, a Tomas this time, has also disappeared in Scotland. Witnesses say that he was walking home from school an hour ago when he was suddenly taken into an unmarked black van. His parents are frantic and they're blaming it on their branch."

There was another beep, this time on my phone. It signaled another call and as much as I didn't want to stop talking to Great-Uncle Fiske, I needed to take this. "Great-Uncle? I'll have to call you back. I'm sorry, really sorry."

"Don't worry, Amy." He sighed in relief. "Just be careful, okay? You, Dan and Nellie. All of you." He hung up and I was taken to the other call.

"Hamilton?" I asked, surprise flooding into my voice. "What's up?"

"Amy? Have you heard from Reagan?" There was hope in his voice.

"Reagan? Um, no. Why?" I hoped that Reagan wasn't kidnapped.

"She's missing...It's probably nothing, though. I can't contact her either but maybe she's in the library or something and she had to turn it on." Hamilton tried to convince himself that his sister was alright but even he seemed to be doubting his own words.

"Hamilton, uh, I'll call you back. I just need to talk to someone." I said in hurried tones. I hung up and dialed Great-Uncle Fiske's number. He picked up on the first ring, a sure sign that he was sitting on it in hopes for any news.

"Amy? What's wrong?" He asked at once

"Great-Uncle! Regan Holt's gone!" I tried to calm myself but I couldn't. Reagan was a friend now. She wasn't as brutal as before and I really worried for her. What if they were doing stuff to her right now? Even a Holt had his or her limits.

There was silence on the other end then Great-Uncle sighed. "This is bad, Amy...This is very bad..."

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**Okay, I have decided something. **

**I will not be updating this story until I get 280 followers in twitter. IMFAO! Please, please, please, please support me! xDD! 8D! **

**I hope you liked this chapter!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Follow me on my new twitter account: DestroyRomance. **

**So I want to thank you all for your prayers and wishes for Kathryn.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Kathryn, who died last January 24, 2011 in a motor accident in London. She was only 21. **

**May you Rest In Peace, Kat. You were Gone too Soon.  
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**Dan POV**

A few minutes after Great-Uncle Fiske called Amy, Cahills were assembled in our living room. I was none too happy about that since some of them were looking around distastefully, as if our house was a home for rats and not fit for human civilization.

I looked around at the assembled faces. The Starlings along with their parents, Uncle Alistair, The Holts who looked depressed and downcast, Jonah and Broderick Wizard, Nataliya, Mr. McIntyre and Great-Uncle Fiske and Nellie. All of us looked worried. Mary-Todd Holt was even crying, a first for her.

"I...I...I ju-just don't g-get why...why...any-anyone would want t-to steal...steal...my baby girl!" She wailed, blowing her nose on a handkerchief. Hamilton put his arm around his mom and rubbed her back. Eisenhower looked ready to kill someone and Madison was quiet, wiping at her eyes every five minutes.

"But where are the Kabras?" Sinead asked

Hamilton snorted. "I bet my whole life that motherfucking bastard was the one who was behind Regan's kidnapping. You can't trust a snake, even after what happened in Ireland." He clenched his fists and glared at the floor.

"Yes my dear boy, you certainly have accusations but we do not have enough proof." Mr. McIntyre said gently

"PROOF? WHO NEEDS PROOF? GIVE ME THEIR LOCATION AND I'LL MAKE SURE THEY'LL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT AGAIN!" Eisenhower roared while everyone cringed. "THEY STOLE MY DAUGHTER! AND I'M GOING TO FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE! THEY WANT WAR! I'LL GIVE THEM WAR!" He broke off, breathing heavily.

"William is right," Nataliya said firmly but gently. "In order to accuse the Kabras, we need proof. Now, who was the last one to see Reagan?"

Madison looked up, bashful. "I texted her saying if she could call a cab for me to pick me up at the airport. She said okay and that was the last thing I heard from her. I waited, like, thirty minutes for the cab and then I finally called one and when I got to the flat...she...she-" She broke off and began to sob into Hamilton's shoulder.

"About what time was that, dear?" Uncle Alistair asked?"

"I-I-I don't know!" Madison sniffed. "About...3:40, I think."

Broderick Wizard nodded. "3:40? The last flight from Milauwakee to Boston was at 1:20 so we assume that Madison called her sister at 3:30. That means that Reagan was probably kidnapped somewhere around three-forty to four."

Sinead looked up from her phone. "Bae Oh was kidnapped from Spain at around 9:32. Lilya Chernova disappeared 11:32 from a party last night and Ekatarinas just contacted Paul Addison's parents. He disappeared at 1 pm." Her phone beeped and she looked at it intently, horror on her face. "Another Cahill's been kidnapped! A Janus this time...Lan Nguyen disappeared from a gallery in Melbourne 5:32 pm. Witnesses say that two men in black approached her. Police in Australia have been alerted."

"Lan Nguyen, yo?" Jonah asked. "I met her once at a shindig Momma threw. Talented painter."

"Jonah, please don't use that slang here." Nataliya smiled tightly at him

Jonah looked down, ashamed. "Sorry ma'm."

"But this doesn't explain anything!" Amy cried out, surprising even me. "Who are the people kidnapping the Cahills? What do they want? And why are they doing this?"

I looked up then, gears turning in my mind. It was so easy, connections were starting to form all over. It was as if a giant puzzle piece had just been inserted and part of puzzle had made sense. "It's the Vespers..." I said slowly. "They're the ones doing this."

As if on cue, the power went out.

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**Dun Dun Dun!**

**What happened?**

**Follow me on twitter: DestroyRomance  
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	13. Chapter 13

**Follow me on my new twitter account: DestroyRomance. **

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**Amy POV**

There was darkness. I couldn't see my hand in front of my eyes. Someone stepped on me and I yelped in pain. People were beginning to panic.

"The lights! Someone turn on the lights!" Madison Holt shrieked

"Who just stepped on me?" Eisenhower Holt roared

"Dude, this place is like, jam packed! Of course everybody could step on you." Jonah Wizard said disgustedly

I felt rough hands grabbing my waist and I screamed. "DAN!"

"Geez, Amy. I didn't know you were so afraid of the dark." Sinead Starling sneered

The hands wrapped themselves around my mouth and I clamped my teeth down on it. The hands withdrew but it was back soon again. I felt a needle being pushed down on the back of my neck and the whole room began to spin. I flailed around wildly, trying to alert someone but everybody was busy trying to find the light switch. I tried to scream Great-Uncle Fiske or Dan or even Nellie's name but my voice came out as more of a moan.

My vision began to fade and I felt myself collapsing on the floor.

The last thing I remembered before blacking out was those rough hands lifting me up.

**Nellie POV**

Someone smart enough finally hit the light switch and the room was flooded in light. People blinked and looked at each other, squinting their eyes. Jonah Wizard was sprawled on the floor, a muddy footprint on the back of his jacket. He stood up and dusted himself off, taking off the dirty jacket in the process. The Starling triplets were holding hands and Alistair Oh was brandishing his cane like a baseball bat.

I immediately counted heads and knew that something was wrong.

"Uh guys...Where's Amy?" I asked, breathing through my nose

"Um...maybe she went upstairs?" Ted Starling said looking doubtful

Dan ran upstairs and I could hear his heavy footfalls. Within a minute, he had ran back downstairs looking panicked and breathless. "She's not there!" He announced, trying to catch his breath. "Maybe she went outside. Somebody should check."

Hamilton Holt threw open the door and searched outside with Ned Starling. I handed Dan his inhaler and he took it gratefully. Fiske sat down on the couch, rubbing two fingers against his forehead, looking extremely worried. We all looked up when the front door was thrown open and Hamilton and Ned had gotten back.

"She's not there, too." Ned Starling said grimly

"Then where is she?" I snapped, pacing back and forth the length of the living room

"Nellie..." Mr. McIntyre said gently. "We need to take this situation in a calm and logical way. We will get to nowhere if we blame and accuse all that are present here...Please, sit down. All of you. That means you, Dan."

Dan snorted. "I wasn't blaming the people present here. I'm blaming those sick Kobras. What is going to take those snakes to stop being such jerks!" He shut up with a look from Mr. McIntyre, crossed his arms in front of his chest and plunked down on the couch.

"Jonah, may I see your jacket?" Broderick Wizard asked

"Uh...Sure, Dad." Jonah handed his dad his jacket with a puzzled look

"Mmm..." Broderick stroked his goatee thoughtfully. "I'm going to have to ask everyone to let me see the bottom of their shoes."

"Why do you need to do that?" Sinead demanded

"He's right, my dear girl." Alistair Oh said. "We might be able to figure out if one of us stepped on Jonah."

"And that will lead us to Amy, huh?" Dan said, sarcasm dripping from his words

But everyone followed Broderick and lined up in front of him, letting him see the bottom of their shoes. He inspected each shoe, comparing them carefully with the print on Jonah's jacket. After the last person was done, he sighed.

"This footprint belongs to the person who captured Amy." He said regretfully

"Figured that out a long time ago." Dan grumbled, "So what do we do now? We ask the footprint if it can magically lead us to wherever Amy and the others are?"

"Oh shut up, Dan!" Sinead said exasperatedly. "You aren't doing anything to help the situation!"

Dan's eyes flashed and he started to get up. He would have decked Sinead if I hadn't pushed him back to the couch. He turned to me. "You're siding with them?" He asked incredulously

"Dan, I'm not." I said with the most patience I could muster. "I'm merely agreeing with Mr. McIntyre. Being sarcastic isn't going to help us or Amy and Reagan. We need to look at this as how the kidnappers would look at it."

He stared at me. "That is the most serious sentence I heard from you."

I wanted to hit him.

"Nellie's right." Ted piped up. "Now, if you were the killer...what would you expect the family of the victims to do?"

"I would alert the police, of course!" Mary-Todd Holt said. "I'd issue a man hunt for that bastard who took my daughter!"

"I have a suggestion." Alistair Oh put in mildly, "With your permission, I would like to take Jonah's jacket back to the Ekatarina stronghold and see if the footprint draws up something in our database. If we are lucky, there could even be a shred of DNA."

The elders in the room nodded. "That would be a good idea."

**Reagan POV**

My throat was sore and my head felt like it had been crushed. The people who had kidnapped me only fed me watery bits of porridge, stale bread and only allowed sips of water. I had been issued twenty-four hour guards. Two men and a woman. The woman was nicknamed Amazon and she accompanied me whenever I had to use the bathroom.

The door clanged open and my eyes snapped wide. My guards lugged a girl inside my cell. The girl was wearing torn jeans and a shirt and her red hair was stuck to her face with sweat. She had a cut lip and a black eye. Her jade-green eyes looked around wildly.

"HELP! HELP ME, SOMEBODY!" She screamed. The guards threw her down on the floor disgustedly and pulled the door close again

"HELP!" The girl screamed again

"Don't waste your breath." My voice was hoarse and I coughed. "Nobody's coming for us. We're just going to die here."

Her eyes turned to me and they widened in surprise. "Reagan? Reagan Holt? Is that you?"

My eyes widened as I took in her appearance. "Oh God, no...Amy! Why are you here?"

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	14. Chapter 14

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**Ian POV**

"Natalie?" I whispered into my phone. "Where are you?"

Her cold voice sounded in my ear. "I'm here at security, Ian. Don't worry, the guards are all gone. I'm watching your back, my dear brother."

"Good," I snapped, angry at her for taking this casually. It was a matter of life and death. Well, actually, a matter of Amy's life and death. I was only kidnapping Cahills in order to appease my mother. When she had regained her place as the head of the Cahill branch, I would act. I would throw her off the position and give back those places to the branch leaders. Of course, that had been my plan. But that all changed when the Vespers took Amy.

"Turn left," Natalie's voice suddenly commanded in my ear. "There are two Vespers coming from your right. Low-life, most likely, but I don't want to risk it. They might be reporting directly to her. And, Ian, you need to circle back again. Amy and Reagan's cells are on the other way."

"Could you have told me that sooner?" I panted as I jogged down a long corridor. I had been running around the Vesper stronghold for two hours now, dodging the various branch members and trying to find Cell 11AB.

Cell 11AB was bad news. It had lasers at the door, no windows and the room could be directed to be air-tight with a push of the button. If Reagan and Amy ticked her off, she would push the big, red button on the panel and the girls would die in less than thirteen seconds.

"Mr. Kabra?" A silky voice from behind me said. "What brings you here?"

"Shit," Natalie's voice muttered in my ear.

I winced and slowly turned around to see a woman with long, straight black hair wearing a dark suit. Her lips were red, the color of blood, and so were her fingernails. She was wearing a sweet smile that didn't reach her eyes. The most unfathomable thing: she was pointing a dart gun straight at my heart.

I gulped. "Ms. Lilith, I didn't know you liked touring your stronghold.

Lilith Vesper was the head of their clan. She was cold, ruthless and plain evil. She made us Lucians look like toddlers compared to her actions. She looked innocent and lovely but she wasn't. That was her facade; the cool, calm and collected Lilith Vesper. But I had seen her lash out at others.

"That is not your concern, Ian," She snapped. "Now answer my question."

I took a deep breath. "I wanted to see Paul Addison, Bae Oh and Lilya Chernova being tortured."

She looked at me for a full minute, contemplating my request. Finally, Ms. Lilith pocketed her dart gun and stepped to the side, sweeping her hand. "This way, Ian but be prepared on what you will see. We're not as forgiving as you Cahills are."

"Of course," I murmured following her as she led the way. I glanced back at the hallway, wondering if I could somehow make a run for it but I knew that it would be impossible. Guards were stationed at every corridor and my move might jeopardize Reagan and Amy. No, I would have to find another way to infiltrate the Vespers.

Ms. Lilith stopped in front of a massive, steel door. There was a small keypad on the side and she placed her palms upon it. A small popping noise came from the door. Next, Ms. Lilith placed her eyes directly in front of a small circle on top of the keypad. Another popping noise from the door. And finally, she spoke into a small speaker protruding from the keypad.

'Lilith Vesper,' She said in a clear voice.

Another popping sound from the door and it slowly swung open.

I sucked in a deep breath as I saw the horror in front of me.

Lilya Chernova was strapped to a chair, bound and gagged wearing nothing but her underwear. Her entire body was bloody and there were wounds all over her. She was so different from the Russian socialite I had met at the last Cahill Ball. Her face sagged and her cheekbones were prominent. Her eyes were dull and downcast. Her hair was messy, sticking to her neck with her perspiration. One of her arms hung at an odd angle. Somebody had been breaking her bones.

I took a full 360 degrees of the room. The same horror, the same lost faces. Paul Addison was chained to a wall with his neck. He seemed thinner and lankier than ever. Bae Oh was sprawled on the floor. There were small pinpricks on his back. Vespers had been pricking him with needles that were probably filled with poison. Not to kill but just enough to make you mad.

"Have you seen yet?" Ms. Lilith's voice was slow but she was smiling as she took in the horrifying scene. "The power of us, Vespers? Even that fool, Gideon Cahill, did not see why his own cousin would betray him. How would he? Lawrence Vesper, his sickly and dumb cousin, steal his formula? But Vespers are ruthless, powerful and clever. We wait until the last moment to strike when our enemies' power is most weak. Even you Cahills would not have enough power to stop us. Luckily, your mother saw that chance and sided with us. So...Little Kabra...who are you going to side with?"

I watched as a man clad in black strode across the room. Taking a baseball bat in his hand, he unlocked Paul Addison's restraints and stepped back as the boy collapsed on the floor. The man began pounding Paul with the bat as Paul screamed in pain.

Blood began to jet out from the boy's mouth and pooled around his feet.

**Amy POV**

"Day three of captivity," I said, counting on my fingers. Reagan smiled beside me and we both looked up as our guards came in with a tray of food. They uncovered it and threw the tray at our feet. Reagan and I scrambled to it like rats.

"They feed the captives stale bread, rotten fruit and mush," I said, my mouth full with said mush. "Stale bread would be better with butter, rotten fruit would be better for vermin and the mush? Looks and tastes like it's made from burning rubber tires."

Reagan opened her mouth to say something but broke off as the screaming began. It was always at this hour when screams and pleads for help echoed through the entire room, as if there were hidden speakers on the walls. From the yells, we had judged that there were two males and a female. Their voices were unfamiliar although Reagan recognized one of the voices although she couldn't place a name.

"Make it stop..." She muttered, clutching her head in pain. I had forgotten that she had been here for a week and a day already. How she had survived it, I didn't know. Tomas and Holts were built for extreme locations and situations but even they had their limits. Reagan was already very pale, her hair hanging limp and dry on her head. Her eyes were bloodshot and she screamed whenever she tried to sleep.

She tried to stand up but collapsed on the floor, hitting her head on the wall. I screamed and ran to her side, putting my fingers directly above her heart where I would find the even beats. But there was none.

I screamed for help and guards came running in. One of them kicked me away while the others covered Reagan with their bodies. I screamed and threw myself at them, pounding and yelling at them to stop but one of them grabbed a syringe and pushed the needle deep into the side of my neck.

The last thing I saw before blacking out was the guards carrying Reagan.

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	15. Chapter 15

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**So this is an entire chapter on Regan's POV  
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**Reagan POV**

I felt my lungs constricting, blocking the air I was so desperately needing. I looked at Amy's scared face. Her jade green eyes seemed dimmer as she screamed. I felt the cold floor meeting my body with a huge thud. There was an ear-splitting noise in my head, which vaguely sounded like Amy screaming. The door slammed open and guards began to file in. They surrounded me until the only thing that I could see were their faces covered in black masks.

The largest one popped out a syringe filled with yellowish liquid and held it close to my neck. I whipped my head to avoid the needle but several guards brusquely held it steady. I felt the needle pierce my skin painfully. I screamed again as I felt their hands carrying me, the rocking movements making me nauseous and wanting to throw up.

I closed my eyes as the dizziness took over me.

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I woke up on a cold, metal bed that had grills on either side of me. I tried to move myself but found that I couldn't. I was strapped to the gurney, thick ropes bound me by my hands, feet and waist. I felt the roughness of the white sheet scratching my naked body and I winced. My head was still throbbing from whatever drug they had injected into my system. I swiveled my head to the right, wincing from the pain that little movement cost me. I saw that they had several tubes inserted on my exposed arm. Various liquids were coursing through those tubes. One held a small sac that was half-filled with a red colored liquid. I hoped that it wasn't my blood.

"Well, well, well…" A sickly-sweet voice said. "It's Reagan Dolt, pardon me. I meant Holt,"

I squinted my eyes as I took in the person who had come inside my chamber. Her hair was dark, hanging below her waist in a single braid. Her coffee-colored skin was striking against the white suit she was wearing. A tote bag hung from her wrist and she was wearing a gold bracelet.

"You," I spat, immediately recognizing the woman

"Yes…me," Isabelle Kabra purred sweetly, her high heels sounding against the cold marble floor as she walked towards me. "How are you?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'll get out of this, Cobra,"

But as Isabelle laughed maliciously, a feeling of dread settled over my stomach. I doubted the confidence in my own words.

I was never going to escape, was I?

I was so deep into my feelings of dread that I didn't notice Isabelle plunging another syringe filled with the same yellowish liquid into my arm. The last thing I heard before slipping back into blackness was the evil sound of her laughter, followed by the tap-tap-tap of her heels.

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I woke up for the second time with a pair of almond-colored eyes staring right into me. I let out a scream of terror, bucking against the sheets as waves of pain sliced through me. The pair of eyes quickly withdrew and I stared at the once beautiful face of Natalie Kabra.

"N-N-Natalie?" I asked hoarsely. The thirst at the back of my throat was so difficult to maintain that my entire mouth felt like it was coated in sand. I looked back at Natalie. Her lush hair that I had envied back then was cut so short that it stuck out on her head. Instead of the usual posh and expensive clothes she once wore, the only thing that covered her body right now was a ratty white shift that came just above her knees. Her face was covered in wounds and smudged with dirt.

"What happened to you?" I asked, feeling pity for my enemy

She bit her lip as tears cascaded down her dirt-covered cheeks. "They tortured us...for trying to save you...Ian's still in the torture chamber..."

Numbness settled all over my body. "Who did this to you?"

She fell to her knees and sobbed harder. The single word that she uttered made my whole body felt like I had been dipped in ice cold water.

"Mother..."

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